Shannon Fornshell

ST. PAUL — Twin Cities native Shannon Fornshell scored a career-high 15 points to help the Drake women’s basketball team pull away from St. Thomas for a 92-81 victory on Saturday to close out non-conference play.

Fornshell was integral in the Bulldogs’ push to take control of the game early in the second half after Drake (6-5) had to rally to take a one-point lead at the break. St. Thomas (7-5) shot 79 percent (11-for-14) from the field in the first quarter to capture a 24-14 advantage, but the red-hot start was unsustainable for the Tommies.

Drake, however, was 12-for-14 (86 percent) from the floor in the second quarter to catch up and take a 40-39 lead at the break. The Bulldogs outscored their hosts 52-42 in the second half to finish the non-conference schedule with a four-game winning streak.

“We got a really good game from St. Thomas, so we need to do a better job of making things tough, but they made plays and baskets,” said Drake head coach Allison Pohlman. “I thought we did a phenomenal job. The first quarter was a little lopsided, but then we got 12 layups in the second quarter. It was great to see us figure it out and navigate our way through.”

Fornshell, a Plymouth, Minn. native, had an assist, a steal, and two layups in the first half of the third quarter as Drake took its one-point halftime lead out to a 13-point advantage. St. Thomas got no closer than five the rest of the way.

Katie Dinnebier led the Bulldogs with her fifth career 30-point performance as she tallied 32 points, 10 assists and three steals. It marked her ninth career double-double as well.

Anna Miller, a Rochester, Minn. native, added a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Courtney Becker chipped in 11 points.

Jade Hill led five double-digit scorers for St. Thomas with 24 points, and Amber Scalia added 19. The Tommies shot 22-for-23 at the free-throw line to help overcome getting outrebounded 32-20.

Drake tips off its Missouri Valley Conference schedule with a trip to Evansville on Dec. 29.

Drake 92, St. Thomas 81

DRAKE (6-5) — Aalsma 3-4 0-2 6, Fornshell 7-9 0-0 15, Dinnebier 12-20 4-7 32, Miller 10-16 1-4 22, Becker 3-4 4-4 11, Knutson 0-0 0-0 0, McCabe 0-0 0-0 0, Taylor 0-0 0-0 0, Hawthorne 1-2 3-4 6, Dailey 0-2 0-0 0, Gray 0-1 0-0 0. TOTALS 36-58 12-21 92.

ST. THOMAS (7-5) — Hill 8-15 8-8 24, Lamker 4-5 2-2 10, Opichka 4-10 2-2 11, Scalia 5-11 7-7 19, Langbehn 5-8 1-2 11, Wright 1-1 0-0 2, Feuerbach 0-1 2-2 2, Werner 0-0 0-0 0, Frentzel 0-0 0-0 0, Sand 1-2 0-0 2. TOTALS 28-53 22-23 81.

DRAKE 14 26 25 27 — 92

ST. THOMAS 24 15 19 23 — 81

3-Point Goals–Drake 8-20 (Dinnebier 4-9, Becker 1-1, Hawthorne 1-1, Fornshell 1-3, Miller 1-4, Aalsma 0-1, Gray 0-1), St. Thomas 3-10 (Scalia 2-5, Opichka 1-1, Feuerbach 0-1, Hill 0-3). Rebounds–Drake 32 (Miller 10), St. Thomas 20 (Opichka 5). Assists–Drake 20 (Dinnebier 10), St. Thomas 16 (Opichka 5). Total Fouls–Drake 19, St. Thomas 22. Fouled Out–Opichka. A–653.